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Concept© Donna Thomson, Think2Read 2007
T2R Primary Comprehension Project Phase 1 (2003 – 2006) Yrs. 5 & 6 KS2
Research and development focused over this period on how to teach students the four comprehension thinking strategies within the Primary Years at KS2.
Objectives:
- to enable children of all abilities to identify these thinking skills and apply them with ease to support greater understanding and enjoyment of reading.
- to enable children to work meaningfully and collaboratively, independent of teacher support within the Reciprocal Reading Framework.
- To raise individual self-confidence and encourage greater self-monitoring of learning.
- To raise levels of personal achievement.
Resources used: ‘Probe Reading Assessment’, by Chris Parkin, Christine Parkin & Brian Poole
(2002) New Zealand: Triune Initiatives
‘PM Benchmark Kit 1’, (2000) NelsonThornes
‘First Steps’ (1999) Education Department of W. Australia
The outcome from this work produced impressive Year 6 SATs comprehension results in the host school (Dartington Primary School, Devon, 2005) and generated a step-by-step teaching guide for Key Stage 2 and a breakthrough assessment and teaching focus to support the teaching of these skills in
Key Stage 1 & 2.
©Think2Read Project 2005
T2R Primary Comprehension Project Phase 2 (2007 – 2010) Yrs. 1 & 2 KS1:
A.) Building creative and critical reading, writing and thinking power through language, meaning and philosophical enquiry.
Think2Read in association with Dartington Primary School, Devon Education Services, Creative Partnerships and Exeter University
Objectives:
- to implement and evaluate a Key Stage 1 programme designed to show Year 1 & 2 children how to identify and apply literal, inferential and evaluative thinking and the four comprehension strategies to support their ability and enjoyment of reading and writing.
- to engage 5, 6 and 7 year olds in a ‘philosophical community of enquiry ’that also makes links to how authors communicate their intention, ideas and meaning,
- to ‘help children (of all abilities and learning styles) learn to think for themselves’; to apply their thinking confidently and effectively across a range of learning opportunities and to provide them with a pathway to a greater appreciation of ‘the whole reading experience’.
Project Advisors:
Annie Tempest – Head teacher of Dartington Primary School & co-leader of the Networked Learning Community National Initiative; Consultant to Western Australian Education Dept; Associate Director of the DFES ‘Innovation Unit’; Tutor for National Qualification for Headship; Education Consultant for DfES
Dr. Joanna Haynes – Senior Lecturer in Educational Studies Faculty of Education, University of Plymouth; Philosophy Consultant and SAPHERE teacher trainer; author of ‘Children as Philosophers’ 2002, co-author with Karin Murris of ‘Storywise: Thinking Through Stories, 2000 ’.
Dr. Maureen Lewis – Literay ‘critical friend’ to the project, member of National Literacy Panel, Education Consultant, researcher and author.
Mary Pitman – Senior Lecturer Plymouth University, Special Needs Consultant
Reference to:
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‘Storywise: Thinking Through Stories’ by Karin Murris &
Joanna Haynes (2000), Dialogue Works
‘Quick Fix for Year Six – Comprehension’ by Donna Thomson & Ruth Nixey (2007) Scholastic – Lessons & activities that give explicit guidance in how to teach literal, inferential and evaluative thinking and questioning skills alongside the essential strategies of predicting, summarising, clarifying. |
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Think To Read: Developing Comprehension in Early Readers
PILOT RESEARCH STUDY TO EVALUATE IMPACT OF THINK2READ (2008 - 2010)
Dr Ros Fisher, Associate of Education, Univeristy of Exeter
The aims of the study are to investigate the impact of an early years reading intervention which is designed to develop pupil's comprehension skills in Keystage 1. The programme incorporates elements of the Philosophy for Children (P4C) approach (Lipman et al, 1980; Lipman 1981 & Karin Murris, Joanna Haynes, 2000) to more easily facilitate the explicit teaching of inference and evaluation skills to children in Primary year 2.
The research will address specific research questions related to this evaluation:
- Do children taught to read using the Think2Read approach make better progress in reading comprehension than their peers?
- Do children taught to read using the Think2Read approach make as good progress in general reading skills as assessed by National Curriculum assessments?
- Do children taught to read using the Think2Read approach show more engagement in literacy lessons when taught by this method?
Research programme: The research will adopt an intervention design taking parallel year two classes from the same schools as intervention and comparison. Two schools will be used in 2008 - 2009. Both quantitative (reading test) and qualitative (observation) data will be collected.
Outcomes: This research programme will provide a small scale evaluation of the Think2Read approach to the teaching of reading. It will give some indication whether this approach is as, or more, effective in the teaching of reading as the standard curriculum. Use of the NARAII will also enable us to investigate whether comprehension in particular is developed. Additionally, the classroom observational data will give insights into the engagement of pupils in literacy lessons. The research will enable dissemination of the findings to potential users of this and similar approaches. The project will be subject to the university guidelines for the ethical conduct of research. Schools, teachers and children involved in the research will be given pseudonyms in any reporting of the research and all records will be anonymised.
T2R COMPREHENSION THINKING SKILLS CROSS PHASE PROJECT MODEL 2007
B.) Crossphase Comprehension Thinking Skills Project Model - Building creative and critical reading, writing and thinking power through language, meaning and enquiry.
Think2Read Project in association with Totnes Federation of Schools and Pilton Association of Schools.
Objectives to:
- to provide an inclusive project model for transition between key stages and foundation, special school, primary and secondary.
- to implement a programme designed to show students from foundation to secondary how to identify and apply literal, inferential and evaluative thinking and the four comprehension strategies to increase levels of ability and enjoyment of reading and writing – and help to further develop oral and social skills.
- to engage 5 year olds in a ‘philosophical community of enquiry’that also makes links to how authors communicate their intention, ideas and meaning.
- to ‘help children (of all abilities and learning styles) learn to think for themselves’;to apply their thinking confidently and effectively across a range of learning opportunities and to provide them with a pathway to a greater appreciation of ‘the whole reading experience’.
| Resources: |
‘Quick Fix for Year Six – Comprehension’ by Donna Thomson & Ruth Nixey (2007) Scholastic – Lessons & activities that give explicit guidance in how to teach literal, inferential and evaluative thinking and questioning skills alongside the essential strategies of predicting, summarising, clarifying. |
| ‘Probe Reading Assessment’, by Chris Parkin, Christine Parkin & Brian Poole (2002) New Zealand: Triune Initiatives |
©Think2Read Project 2007
‘Storywise: Thinking Through Stories’ by Karin Murris &
Joanna Haynes (2000), Dialogue Works
‘Philosophy in the Classroom’ Lipman, M Sharp, A. M. & Oscanyan (1980, p.45) Philadelphia:Temple
